Vengeful by V.E. Schwab
Vengeful (Villians #2) by V.E. Schwab
I was skeptical about this sequel as Vicious was so perfect, even with the semi-cliff hanger ending that I was unsure how V.E. Schwab was going to further develop these characters and their story. I shouldn't have worried because Schwab delivered yet another amazingly written book.
Just like with Vicious, this story is darker with characters who are twisted just enough. This series is called “Villians", but the main characters are truly complicated antiheros. Sure, they are dark and murderous but they are also sympathetic and caring in certain situations. This makes them likeable, even though you find them murdering again and again. I don't think many authors would be able to pull that contradiction off so well.
The book opens up 5 years after Vicious took place and Victor is no longer focused on Eli. Instead, he is dealing with a bigger issue; he keeps dying again and again and at the rate he's going he may become too brain dead to wake up the next time. We begin to follow his search for a way to live, bringing in normal human doctors but also new EO's. Meanwhile, Eli has been imprisoned thanks to Victor's actions and has hallucinations of his old enemy who he still believes is dead.
In this new book, similar to Vicious, new secondary characters are introduced that so perfectly fit within Eli and Victor's story of revenge against each other. Most of the characters are doing despicable acts, but their logic behind these actions make a certain amount of sense. You also receive just the right amount of background for these new characters and it even adds to the overall plot. I think the best new addition to this book is Marcella Riggins, a new EO set on getting revenge on her husband and exposing EOs to the world. I think the two quotes below sum her up pretty well; and she is perfect for this story.
“How many men would she have to turn to dust before one took her seriously?"
“Ask nice. Play nice. Marcella was so fucking tired of nice."
This novel in the series delves deeper into Eli's past and gives you such a better understanding of his thoughts and actions towards other EO's. Sydney also grows up a bit and deals with her own struggles which adds a layer of depth to her character and her new role in this EO world.
One of the things I enjoyed most in both Vicious and Vengeful is how Schwab so seamlessly transitions from the past to present. The timeline of the story is constantly jumping around but it doesn't confuse the reader. Rather, it adds to the overall build-up towards the final show-down when all the pieces come perfectly together.
Synopsis: Sydney once had Serena—beloved sister, betrayed enemy, powerful ally. But now she is alone, except for her thrice-dead dog, Dol, and then there's Victor, who thinks Sydney doesn't know about his most recent act of vengeance.
Victor himself is under the radar these days—being buried and re-animated can strike concern even if one has superhuman powers. But despite his own worries, his anger remains. And Eli Ever still has yet to pay for the evil he has done.